Car Seats Are NOT Substitutes For Cribs!

Don’t let your baby’s car seat strangle them.

An old study is being recirculated, reminding parents of the dangers of letting their infants and toddlers sleep in car seats outside of the vehicle.

A 2008 Journal of Pediatrics study warning of the dangers of leaving your child under two sleeping in their car seat is being recirculated online. It’s not uncommon for parents to use car seats as substitutes for cots or other appropriate sleeping environments despite the dangers associated with leaving your child in their car seat outside of the vehicle.

In the nearly two dozen cases included in the Pennsylvania State Medical Center study, which looked into the deaths of children under two who had died while sitting in their car seat, 16 had been strangled by the seat straps, while 15 had died from positional asphyxia.

Positional asphyxia is the leading cause of SIDS – it happens when a person’s breathing is obstructed due to the positioning of his or her body, or a restraint, like a seat belt or strap.

The scariest part of their study? They found that it could happen in as little as four minutes – just enough time to put your keys away and head to the bathroom before checking on your baby again.

These are very preventable deaths. Make sure you always remove your infant from their car seat when bringing them indoors, even if they’re sleeping. And remember, leaving them in the car is no work around for this issue either, as it can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, or heat stroke, among many other dangers.